Benito Antonio Templo de León (born March 21, 1960)[1] is a retired military officer of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

[1] His father, Nicolás de León (1936–2010) from Alcala, Cagayan, was a Certified Public Accountant who later taught in colleges and eventually retired as a banker.

He is married to the Annabelle Quinonez from Surigao del Sur, with whom he has four children: Antoinette, Dyanne Lysette, Michael Henry, and Patrick Kevin.

[15] [16] He served as the Commander of 104th Infantry (Sultan) Brigade based in Iligan City and covering Lanao del Norte.

[5][17] His unit was tasked to pursue the lawless group of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front which pillaged the coastal towns of Kolambugan and Kauswagan; bringing stability into the long troubled region of the Philippines caused by a Muslim separatist movement.

As De León pursued the outlaws, he had continuously sought support of the different sectors of society to bring in developmental projects,[18] [19] and heavily engaged in interfaith consultations and dialogues to create harmony between Christians and Muslims.